Chapter 56: A Ning! A Ning!
Lin Yan felt that handing this mine-probing job to Wu Xie was really not appropriate, because he was too weak! If a mechanism was triggered, and a crossbow bolt came flying, wouldn’t he just be done for? Instead, he looked around and gathered people with good skills and knowledge of mechanisms, leaving only Zhang Hao—no, Zhang Qiling. But who would dare?
Lin Yan casually followed while keeping his attention on Fatty and A Ning. Not for anything else, Fatty was the most likely to play dirty, and A Ning, this woman, was prone to making trouble! How could he not watch her?
Sure enough, after just a few steps, he caught A Ning staring at a certain brick, eager to move. Hmm? Staring at a certain brick? Could she know about a mechanism?
He carefully observed A Ning’s gaze and read out: “Should I step on this mark?”
Mark? Hadn’t he checked before, and there were no marks on the bricks? He followed A Ning’s gaze and carefully observed the bricks in that area, but found no marks. So what kind of mark was this? If it was a mark that triggered a mechanism, then how was it marked? Why could A Ning see it but he couldn’t?
No way, whether it was a mark that triggered a mechanism or a mark from A Ning’s company, he couldn’t let A Ning step on it! What if something happened?
So he quietly approached A Ning, and when she got close to that area, he squeezed between her and Wu Yong, gesturing for her to move toward Zhang Hao: “Boss A Ning, I have something to ask Brother Wu Yong. Why don’t you chat with Mr. Zhang and the others first?”
Wu Xie was startled by the sudden voice, nearly tripping over his own feet. Looking back, Lin Yan was grinning as he grabbed Wu Yong’s arm, forcing himself between the two of them.
He raised an eyebrow: What’s going on?
Lin Yan slightly lifted his chin, signaling him to look ahead: Don’t ask, just keep walking, it’s fine.
Wu Xie nodded, ignoring A Ning’s not-so-great expression, and continued forward. But after this, he kept half his attention on those behind him. Lin Yan wouldn’t do pointless things; him suddenly doing this likely meant he had discovered something. Could it be he found A Ning and Wu Yong plotting some small move, so he wanted to separate them?
Recalling how, when they previously encountered sea monkeys, Wu Yong jumped into the sea without a word, leaving the two of them staring at each other, Wu Xie felt Wu Yong wasn’t trustworthy either. On the contrary, that Zhang Hao had been pretty nice to them before, seemed honest, and could be appropriately trusted in danger.
It had to be said, Wu Xie’s thinking wasn’t entirely off direction, but at least half wrong. No matter what, Wu Yong was from the Wu Family, and on the ghost ship it was completely an accident. This time, it was just Lin Yan needing an excuse to get A Ning away.
A Ning glanced at Lin Yan but surprisingly didn’t refuse, instead obediently stepping aside a bit, which surprised Lin Yan. He thought with A Ning’s personality, she would at least retort. He wasn’t like Wu Xie and Fatty as a consultant; in a way, A Ning was being nice because she needed something from him. Hadn’t she been provoking him before? Why was her attitude so good now?
This isn’t right! Lin Yan touched his chin: Fatty quiet means hiding treasure; A Ning quiet means making trouble! What exactly was this woman planning? No, he had to thwart her scheme!
At this moment, a hand waved in front of him: “Lin Yan, Lin Yan? Why are you suddenly spacing out?”
Lin Yan snapped back; it was Wu Yong calling him. Looking up, they had fallen several steps behind the main group. He quickly jogged to catch up, and Wu Yong curiously asked: “Didn’t you say you had something to ask me? What is it?”
“Uh,” Lin Yan couldn’t think of a topic on the spot; that was just an excuse to get rid of A Ning—could he say that?
After racking his brain, there was only one thing he could ask, but he’d have to brace for nagging. Lin Yan sighed inwardly, somewhat listlessly opening his mouth: “That, Brother Wu Yong, didn’t you give me a military shovel last time? I still haven’t figured out some of its functions.”
As expected, the next second, Wu Yong’s deadly nagging began. Wu Xie turned back from his busy state with a sympathetic look; Fatty and Zhang Hao listened with interest, probably not expecting someone to ask for a military shovel tutorial at this time. Even A Ning turned back in surprise to look at Wu Yong, likely not realizing after all this time together that he had this hidden trait.
For a moment, the tomb passage was filled with the joyful air of science.
Happy times are always short, just as what should happen will always happen. In novels, no matter how careful the protagonist is, they always trigger a mechanism, either their own people or the villains—same here.
While Lin Yan listlessly listened to Wu Yong’s second explanation, the accident happened. They suddenly felt a vibration underfoot and stopped in unison, checking everyone’s feet to see what had occurred.
Sure enough, under A Ning’s right foot, the white marble brick had slightly sunk in; the vibration must have been triggered here. This meant
Lin Yan abruptly looked up at the surroundings; the originally dark walls now resembled beasts with gaping abyssal mouths, ready to swallow them whole: “Run fast!”
Before the words finished, a crossbow bolt flew straight at Wu Xie, instantly piercing his clothes and sinking three inches into his flesh. Wu Xie incredulously clutched his chest, not reacting yet.
“Lin… Lin Yan,” Wu Xie dazedly turned his head. Lin Yan saw a crossbow bolt lodged in his chest, likely piercing his heart!
“No, this is impossible!” Though he didn’t remember the plot, how could Wu Xie die here? What had gone wrong? His pupils contracted slightly as he ran toward Wu Xie, wanting to move him to the nearby lamp groove before the next volley of crossbow bolts.
“Hurry, don’t daze, dodge to the side! There are definitely more coming!”
Wu Xie was still immersed in the emotion of dying and didn’t react; the next volley arrived, even more this time. Before Lin Yan reached him, five or six more hit his back and legs, forcing him to kneel involuntarily, unable to get up for the moment.
“Fuck his mom!” Fatty roared as the crossbow bolts came, grabbing two but getting hit twice in the arms. Seeing Wu Xie being saved by Lin Yan, he turned and dove to the side—he was just two steps from the lamp groove, sliding in with a fish leap. Unfortunately, the lamp groove wasn’t wide or deep enough; even prone, crossbow bolts kept hitting his back. In dozens of seconds, several more struck, making him look like a porcupine.
Wu Yong and Zhang Hao reacted immediately too, each finding cover. Zhang Hao had long hugged his head tightly and dove into the lamp groove, curling up—no one noticed him vanish for the moment. Wu Yong followed Lin Yan forward; his boss A Ning was still ahead.
Seeing Wu Yong run over, A Ning grabbed two incoming crossbow bolts aimed at her and threw them to the ground, then spun around and shoved Wu Yong in front of her! Wu Yong was smashed at the waist by her, losing all strength, and could only watch as he became a meat shield! After one volley, his body was densely covered in arrows, eyelids drooping; anyone could see he was beyond saving.
While Lin Yan supported Wu Xie, crawling and rolling into the lamp groove, he happened to glance over. He hadn’t expected A Ning to be so ruthless! He should be glad Wu Yong ran fast, or she would have used the already defenseless Wu Xie as a meat shield!
Just as he thought that, A Ning headed their way. Another volley came, pinning them down; in the blink of an eye, the spot in front of him emptied!
Bad!
He grew anxious inside and looked up—sure enough, A Ning, with no one watching her, abandoned the arrow-riddled Wu Yong, kicked off the wall, lifted Wu Xie to block the mid-air arrows, then dropped him and did a clean backflip, landing neatly in front of the small door on the left!
“You!” Lin Yan gritted his teeth inwardly but was forced back by the crossbow bolts. If Wu Xie hadn’t been dropped right into the groove to dodge the arrows, she would have gotten two people killed in these few minutes!
Not to mention whether Wu Xie, hit by those arrows, could even survive!
He clenched his teeth, glaring at A Ning. This woman shouldn’t have been saved back then! He should have let her suffocate underwater!
“Hmph!” A Ning snorted coldly, provocatively smiling at him, then swept her condescending gaze over them all, flashed into the jade door, and left them in the arrow-filled tomb passage.
